Latest news with #ESPN-branded
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
ESPN-NFL deal faces regulatory hurdles
The National Football League's deal with Walt Disney in which it will gain an equity stake in ESPN in return for prime media assets is expected to face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to legal experts and industry sources. The agreement, announced late Tuesday, involves Disney's ESPN acquiring the NFL Network and other media properties in exchange for the league receiving a 10 percent stake in the sports network. Andre P. Barlow, a partner at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard, said the transaction "surely raises competition concerns," because it could potentially give Disney greater control over televised sports carriage and reduce competition. "The deal could potentially result in higher costs for consumers, as Disney's dominance in sports media could limit options and drive up prices for streaming services or game access," Barlow said. The Justice Department is expected to conduct a substantive review of the new ESPN-NFL transaction, according to one source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another source said obtaining U.S. antitrust clearance could take up to 12 months. ESPN and the NFL declined comment. The expected review comes as the Justice Department's Antitrust Division is examining a separate deal Disney reached earlier this year to acquire a controlling stake in the sports streaming service Fubo TV. The division demanded further information from the companies in March to examine whether the deal would unduly concentrate the market for sports streaming. Meanwhile, the issue of rising costs for fans as games migrate to streaming services has reached the Senate, where the Commerce Committee held a hearing in May. "In an era of deep partisan division, sports might be the most powerful cultural unifier we have," said Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who chairs the committee, noting it brings together Americans whether they're watching from their couches or in the stands. "But those millions of fans are asking a simple question: 'Why does it seem to be getting harder -- and more expensive -- to just watch the game?'" John Bergmayer, legal director of the non-profit Public Knowledge, voiced the same concerns. "The proliferation of streaming services -- and the fragmentation of content between them -- means that the costs of watching streaming video are rising, and for many people can approach what they were paying on their cable bill," said Bergmayer in testimony to the committee. "Some viewers feel like they finally broke free of the cable bundle only to watch it re-forming (before) their eyes." ESPN STREAMING SERVICE The NFL has done outreach to 30 congressional offices to discuss the terms of its deal with ESPN and how it would result in greater consumer choice, according to one of the sources. Under the agreement, ESPN would be able to add the NFL Network to its breadth of sports programming and incorporate it as part of its ESPN-branded streaming service. ESPN also plans to merge its fantasy football offering with that of the NFL. ESPN also will be able to distribute the NFL's RedZone to cable and satellite TV distributors, along with its other channels. The NFL will retain streaming rights to NFL RedZone, which is available online through YouTube TV. Disney won swift approval for its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets in 2018, during President Donald Trump's first term, though it was required to divest Fox's 22 regional sports networks to address competition concerns. At the time, Trump called to congratulate the Fox's Rupert Murdoch on the deal. "It was worked out in record time," said Barlow, adding that this time around, he expects the Justice Department "to take a close look before approving the deal." One recent media deal, the $8.4 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, became bogged down in a lengthy regulatory review, as President Donald Trump sued Paramount, claiming the CBS News program "60 Minutes" deceptively edited an interview with his Democratic rival for the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction within days of Trump receiving a $16 million settlement, though FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the civil suit and regulatory review were unrelated. Politics could complicate the deal. Some sports industry insiders pointed to Trump's threats to interfere with a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the local NFL team, now known as the Commanders, changes its name back to Redskins, which was abandoned after decades of criticism that it was a racial slur. ESPN is currently 80 percent owned by ABC Inc as an indirect subsidiary of Disney, with the other 20% owned by Hearst. If the deal is approved, ABC's stake would drop to 72 percent and Hearst would fall to 18 percent to grant the NFL a 10 percent stake.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Disney faces regulatory hurdles
The National Football League's deal with Walt Disney in which it will gain an equity stake in ESPN in return for prime media assets is expected to face scrutiny from the US Department of Justice, according to legal experts and industry sources. The agreement, announced this week, involves Disney's ESPN acquiring the NFL Network and other media properties in exchange for the league receiving a 10% stake in the sports network. Andre P. Barlow, a partner at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard, said the transaction "surely raises competition concerns," because it could potentially give Disney greater control over televised sports carriage and reduce competition. "The deal could potentially result in higher costs for consumers, as Disney's dominance in sports media could limit options and drive up prices for streaming services or game access," Barlow said. The Justice Department is expected to conduct a substantive review of the new ESPN-NFL transaction, according to one source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another source said obtaining US antitrust clearance could take up to 12 months. The expected review comes as the Justice Department's Antitrust Division is examining a separate deal Disney reached earlier this year to acquire a controlling stake in the sports streaming service Fubo TV. The division demanded further information from the companies in March to examine whether the deal would unduly concentrate the market for sports streaming. Meanwhile, the issue of rising costs for fans as games migrate to streaming services has reached the Senate, where the Commerce Committee held a hearing in May. "In an era of deep partisan division, sports might be the most powerful cultural unifier we have," said Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who chairs the committee, noting it brings together Americans whether they're watching from their couches or in the stands. "But those millions of fans are asking a simple question: 'Why does it seem to be getting harderand more expensiveto just watch the game?'" John Bergmayer, legal director of the non-profit Public Knowledge, voiced the same concerns. "The proliferation of streaming servicesand the fragmentation of content between themmeans that the costs of watching streaming video are rising, and for many people can approach what they were paying on their cable bill," said Bergmayer in testimony to the committee. "Some viewers feel like they finally broke free of the cable bundle only to watch it re-forming (before) their eyes." ESPN streaming service The NFL has done outreach to 30 congressional offices to discuss the terms of its deal with ESPN and how it would result in greater consumer choice, according to one of the sources. Under the agreement, ESPN would be able to add the NFL Network to its breadth of sports programming and incorporate it as part of its ESPN-branded streaming service. ESPN also plans to merge its fantasy football offering with that of the NFL. ESPN also will be able to distribute the NFL's RedZone to cable and satellite TV distributors, along with its other channels. The NFL will retain streaming rights to NFL RedZone, which is available online through YouTube TV. Disney won swift approval for its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets in 2018, during President Donald Trump's first term, though it was required to divest Fox's 22 regional sports networks to address competition concerns. At the time, Trump called to congratulate the Fox's Rupert Murdoch on the deal. "It was worked out in record time," said Barlow, adding that this time around, he expects the Justice Department "to take a close look before approving the deal." One recent media deal, the $8.4 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, became bogged down in a lengthy regulatory review, as President Donald Trump sued Paramount, claiming the CBS News program "60 Minutes" deceptively edited an interview with his Democratic rival for the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction within days of Trump receiving a $16 million settlement, though FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the civil suit and regulatory review were unrelated. Politics could complicate the deal. Some sports industry insiders pointed to Trump's threats to interfere with a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the local NFL team, now known as the Commanders, changes its name back to Redskins, which was abandoned after decades of criticism that it was a racial slur. ESPN is currently 80% owned by ABC Inc as an indirect subsidiary of Disney, with the other 20% owned by Hearst. If the deal is approved, ABC's stake would drop to 72% and Hearst would fall to 18% to grant the NFL a 10% stake.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Analysis-ESPN-NFL deal faces regulatory hurdles
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The National Football League's deal with Walt Disney in which it will gain an equity stake in ESPN in return for prime media assets is expected to face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to legal experts and industry sources. The agreement, announced late Tuesday, involves Disney's ESPN acquiring the NFL Network and other media properties in exchange for the league receiving a 10 percent stake in the sports network. Andre P. Barlow, a partner at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard, said the transaction "surely raises competition concerns," because it could potentially give Disney greater control over televised sports carriage and reducecompetition. "The deal could potentially result in higher costs for consumers, as Disney's dominance in sports media could limit options and drive up prices for streaming services or game access," Barlow said. The Justice Department is expected to conduct a substantive review of the new ESPN-NFL transaction, according to one source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another source said obtaining U.S. antitrust clearance could take up to 12 months. ESPN and the NFL declined comment. The expected review comes as the Justice Department's Antitrust Division is examining a separate deal Disney reached earlier this yearto acquire a controlling stake in the sports streaming service Fubo TV. The division demanded further information from the companies in March to examine whether the deal would unduly concentrate the market for sports streaming. Meanwhile, the issue of rising costs for fans as games migrate to streaming services has reached the Senate, where the Commerce Committee held a hearing in May. "In an era of deep partisan division, sports might be the most powerful cultural unifier we have," said Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who chairs the committee, noting it brings together Americans whether they're watching from their couches or in the stands. "But those millions of fans are asking a simple question: 'Why does it seem to be getting harder -- andmore expensive -- to just watch the game?'" John Bergmayer, legal director of the non-profit Public Knowledge, voiced the same concerns. "The proliferation of streaming services -- and the fragmentation of content between them --means that the costs of watching streaming video are rising, and for many people can approach what they were paying on their cable bill," said Bergmayer in testimony to the committee. "Some viewers feel like they finally broke free of the cable bundle only to watch it re-forming (before) their eyes." ESPN STREAMING SERVICE The NFL has done outreach to 30 congressional offices to discuss the terms of its deal with ESPN and how it would result in greater consumer choice, according to one of the sources. Under the agreement, ESPN would be able to add the NFL Network to its breadth of sports programming and incorporate it as part of its ESPN-branded streaming service. ESPN also plans to merge its fantasy football offering with that of the NFL. ESPN also will be able to distribute the NFL's RedZone to cable and satellite TV distributors, along with its other channels. The NFL will retain streaming rights to NFL RedZone, which is available online through YouTube TV. Disney won swift approval for its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets in 2018, during President Donald Trump's first term, though it was required to divest Fox's 22 regional sports networks to address competition the time, Trump called to congratulate the Fox'sRupert Murdoch on the deal. "It was worked out in record time," said Barlow, adding that this time around, he expects the Justice Department "to take a close look before approving the deal." One recent media deal, the $8.4 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, became bogged down in a lengthy regulatory review, as President Donald Trump sued Paramount, claiming the CBS News program "60 Minutes" deceptively edited an interview with his Democratic rival for the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction within days of Trump receiving a $16 million settlement, though FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the civil suit and regulatory review were unrelated. Politics could complicate the deal. Some sports industry insiders pointed to Trump's threats to interfere with a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the local NFL team, now known as the Commanders, changes its name back to Redskins, which was abandoned after decades of criticism that it was a racial slur. ESPN is currently 80 percent owned by ABC Inc as an indirect subsidiary of Disney, with the other 20% owned by Hearst. If the deal is approved, ABC's stake would drop to72 percent andHearst would fall to 18 percent to grant the NFL a 10 percent stake. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; editing by Kenneth Li and Nick Zieminski)
New York Times
25-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Fanfare follows Bill Belichick at ACC media days, but UNC's coach handles it his way
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The day was almost done. Bill Belichick had finished tackling 26 minutes of questions from a room of 70 reporters and 22 cameras. He stopped to grab some ESPN-branded boxes of popcorn at a booth in the hallway. There was a problem, though. 'You got one that's not empty?' he asked with a laugh. Advertisement The booth attendant handed him a pair of boxes filled to the brim, an apology for the unwitting prank on North Carolina's new coach, who also happens to be the most accomplished NFL coach of all time and the biggest new face in college football. Talking season was complete. Six hours of mostly uninterrupted media obligations were more than enough for the famously terse coach. Time to celebrate with a snack. Belichick has arrived at the ACC Kickoff — Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) July 24, 2025 At 8:47 a.m., Belichick exited a black SUV parked under a bridge and ambled into a side street entrance of the Hilton Uptown Charlotte holding a black backpack. There are no NFL media days. Thursday's ACC media days marathon was the latest new experience for Belichick, a uniquely college-football-in-July tradition. If he were ranking the responsibilities of his new job, it probably wouldn't be high on the list. But this is Belichick's new world, and the first-time college coach handled it … like any other college coach. Just with more fanfare. 'I always wanted to coach in college football. I grew up in college football. I tried to go into college football,' Belichick said, 'and that didn't work out.' In 1975, Lou Holtz hired Belichick as a 23-year-old graduate assistant at NC State but before Belichick could start the job, his position was eliminated amid the institution of Title IX. The Baltimore Colts hired him later that year as a special assistant, diverting his career into the NFL for almost five decades. 'That worked out fine,' Belichick said. At 73, he's finally in college football. To his peers, it's surreal. 'There was more than one occasion that I went, 'Yep, that's Bill Belichick right there, right here in the ACC head coaches meetings,'' Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. 'It's the most 2025 thing ever.' Advertisement Swinney noted how much he's learned from Belichick since his arrival in the league. Later, Belichick scoffed at the awe from the two-time national champion. 'Ah, come on,' Belichick said with a laugh. 'We're all learning from Dabo.' A few minutes after Belichick arrived, he met with a small group of local media in a tight conference room for 14 minutes before leaving the table to turn the room over to 'our stars right here,' referring to his players. Belichick noted that he has attended more than 10 donor events with general manager Michael Lombardi, his longtime assistant who later pivoted to a career in media and hosted a podcast with Belichick last season before joining him in Chapel Hill. Asked about his future at North Carolina, Belichick, whose ensemble included a Carolina blue handkerchief and a dark blue 'BB' monogram on his shirt cuff, tapped into his signature short wind. He declined any examination of what lies ahead. 'The future right now for us is the start of camp,' he said. He also discussed another quirk of being a college coach: Poring over class reports from his players. He never had to worry about Tom Brady's class attendance or grades. He does now with every one of his players, more than 70 of whom are new, including quarterback Gio Lopez, a transfer from South Alabama. Belichick said he and Lombardi are personally involved in keeping up with daily academic reports on his roster. 'We don't want players to fall behind,' Belichick said. 'Once you fall two or three weeks behind academically, it's hard to keep up.' Belichick avoided the rows of radio reporters in the hotel lobby and spent much of the morning in a hallway outside the green room for players and coaches, down the hall from private rooms for interviews with SiriusXM and the ACC Digital Network. Advertisement Most coaches and players sat for requested interviews on the event's lower level. Belichick abstained. A little after 11 a.m., Belichick took a lengthy phone call. As he spoke, a group of people approached. They lingered in the hallway waiting for Belichick and began to leave before a UNC official stopped them and made sure they got time with the head Tar Heel. Dream On 3 is a Charlotte nonprofit that helps fulfill 'sports-themed dreams' for kids with life-altering conditions, disabilities and mental health challenges, according to its website. It works closely with the ACC, and on Thursday, hosted the Burrell family. Belichick rewarded their patience when he found a break in his obligations. He spent a few quiet moments with the family, taking photos and signing footballs. 'That was pretty much the coolest thing ever,' said Cameron Burrell, a Clemson fan and Charlotte resident who said his son suffers from a third-degree heart block and his daughter suffers from epilepsy. 'We were all kind of starstruck,' said Maddy Fleming, the program director for Dream On 3. 'We were all just like, 'Is this real life?'' After another interview and lunch in the green room, Belichick spent a few minutes chatting with athletic director Bubba Cunningham before sitting down with ESPN's 'SportsCenter.' Around the corner, more than 40 cameras waited. But as soon as Belichick sat for the interview, cameras swarmed. Two veteran ACC reporters remarked they'd never witnessed a scene like it in their years covering the conference's media days. All eyes on Bill Belichick 👀 — ACC Network (@accnetwork) July 24, 2025 Belichick smiled and laughed as 'SportsCenter' showed a photo of him as a toddler from his father's more than three decades as a coach at Navy. Later, Belichick told a reporter he'd like to one day schedule a game with Navy. 'That'd be tough,' he said with a laugh. As he made his way into the large news conference room, cameras and reporters followed him as if summoned by a tractor beam. Advertisement Belichick took the stage and jokingly shielded his eyes from the blinding light before making a 4 1/2-minute opening statement and taking a few questions about the role of fullbacks in the sport, why he came to North Carolina and roster building in the modern game. Absent from Belichick's time on stage and in the breakout room with reporters: Any discussion of his personal life, the most-talked-about topic of Belichick's UNC tenure thus far. Jordon Hudson, his 24-year-old girlfriend, did not accompany him to the event. North Carolina has reiterated that Hudson handles Belichick's personal engagements and is not a university employee. After ceding the microphone to defensive back Thaddeus Dixon, Belichick sat back and relished his immediate impact on his players. Asked about the magnitude of a season opener against TCU, certain to be watched by millions, Dixon reiterated it was just another game. Players just needed to execute. Belichick leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smile. A few minutes later, as Dixon lauded the toughness he's seen in the team, Belichick reached over for a fist bump from wide receiver Jordan Shipp. 'You can't make plays on Saturday until you do it in practice,' Dixon added, drawing a large nod from his coach sitting quietly on stage. A question about Shipp's unfortunate childhood nickname – Duke, also North Carolina's chief rival – drew a belly laugh from Belichick. As NC State coach Dave Doeren took the stage following Belichick, he remarked on the suddenly cavernous room, noting it got a little sleepier. Belichick crowd vs non-BB crowd… We are just the worst. — 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 24, 2025 But next door, a breakout room with one row of seats on Day 1 and 2 was expanded to three rows and a riser for cameras for the final day, featuring North Carolina, NC State, Duke and conference power and title favorite Clemson. When Belichick arrived, those 22 mounted cameras and around 70 reporters were waiting. While every other coach fielded questions himself, the crush of media required a UNC official to moderate Belichick's session, calling on reporters who peppered the coach with questions. Advertisement He was long-winded on his recruiting strategy. 'Be authentic. This is who we are. We're not really going to change too much. If this works for you, this is a great place. If it doesn't, then honestly, you're better off going somewhere else. We're not trying to overhype or oversell something we can't deliver. We're trying to sell who we are,' he said. 'I think a lot of people want that. But for the ones that don't, it's better for both of us that they go somewhere else.' He was short on questions about the format of the College Football Playoff – ask Nick Saban or Kirk Ferentz, who would know better, he said. He stumped for Mike Shanahan to be included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and waxed nostalgic on his relationship with Boston College coach Bill O'Brien. He also defended the House settlement bringing an end to walk-ons in college football, arguing that adding 20 more available scholarships for programs could be a net positive for athletes and the sport, even though technically there would be no more walk-ons. He joked with a reporter who was an alum of Foxborough High that he could no longer use his New England Patriots-era motivational tactic of warning players he could find a better player at the nearby high school. A little after 3:30, his day was complete. Belichick made his way back into the green room and finished his popcorn. He re-emerged and refilled his tea, squeezing a few lemons and pouring a pair of sugar packets over the ice before pouring the tea into his plastic cup. He took a few sips, and his players joined him near the bank of elevators. He stepped inside and made his way to the black SUV waiting to take him home to Chapel Hill via Interstate 85. The talking is over. Belichick? He's on to training camp. — The Athletic's Matt Baker contributed to this report.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Really disappointing': NHL faces backlash over record-low Stanley Cup Final viewership and controversial media strategy
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final between Florida and Edmonton saw shockingly low viewership in Canada (Image via Reuters) Despite high stakes and elite talent on the ice, the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers failed to capture the audience it deserved. Game 6 averaged just 4.327 million viewers across English and French networks in Canada—a shocking drop that marks the lowest viewership for a Game 6 since 1994. Game 6 ratings hit a historic low as fans blame cable broadcasting, poor promotion, and market mismatch Braylon Breeze posted on X, 'The 2025 Stanley Cup Final averaged 4.366 million viewers across Canada — down 4% from the first six games of last year's series.' The steep drop in fan engagement has raised serious concerns about the NHL 's reach and media strategy. A major point of criticism lies in the league's broadcast partner. The NHL's high-profile media deal with Turner Sports put the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on TNT, a cable network with far less reach than traditional giants like ABC or NBC. While the deal brought in big money, it arguably cost the NHL millions of casual viewers. 'There's a difference in not being on an ESPN-branded platform,' said Ed Desser, a former NBA executive. 'For better or worse, ESPN is kind of special… it's just a different animal.' TNT also struggled with ratings in the 2023 Final, while network broadcasts consistently drew larger audiences in other years. Without ESPN or ABC branding, many fans, especially casual ones, didn't even realize where to tune in. Market mismatch and divided fan bases may have further hurt the numbers This year's matchup featured only one U.S. team—Florida—while Edmonton represented the Canadian side. While Canada showed up in early games with 4.5 to 4.8 million viewers, American viewership lagged behind. Florida, a small hockey market competing with the nearby Tampa Bay Lightning for fan loyalty, simply couldn't carry national attention on its own. John Kosner, a former ESPN executive, expressed disappointment, noting the exciting quality of the series. 'I find it really disappointing considering how remarkable the series was last year.' With streaming, digital content, and blockbuster TV as constant competition, Desser warned: 'You're not just competing with what's on TV—you're competing with the best content ever created.' Also Read: Brad Marchand's Stanley Cup win stirs emotion as wife reveals pain of being apart since shocking Bruins trade The NHL may be financially sound, but if it wants to keep growing, a modernized media and fan engagement strategy is no longer optional—it's urgent. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
